Chapter 2 Argument Structure

Question 1

What is indicator terminology?

Answer 1

Indicator Terminology consists of words and phrases that serve to indicate or identify the basic elements of an argument.

Question 2

What are the Conclusion indicators?

Answer 2

Provide clues for identifying the conclusion of an argument.

Examples: therefore, so, as a result, it follows that, thus hence, consequently, entails that.

Question 3

What are Premise indicators?

Answer 3

Provide clues for identifying the premises of an argument.

Examples: since, for the reason that, given that, because

Question 4

What are the Guidelines of Restructuring Arguments?

Answer 4

1. List the premises first (labelled P1, p2, p3…) and the conclusion(labelled C) last. Bracket any indicator terminology.
2. Write the premises and the conclusion in the form of separate declarative sentences.
3. Eliminate all premise and conclusion indicators
4. Compound arrangements of statements in which the various componoents are all claimed to be true will will be considered separate statements.
5. Omit statements that are neither premises nor conclusions.

Question 5

What is the first step in diagramming arguments?

Answer 5

To add numbering.

Number only premises and conclusions in the order in the passage. Place numbers to the right of indicator terminology.

Question 6

What are Conjoint Premises?

Answer 6

Two or more statements that if taken separately provide little or no support for the next statement but taken togetner they do.

Question 7

What are independant premises?

Answer 7

Two or more statements that are independant premises for the conclusion; each would continue to support the conclusion in the same way even if the others were omitted.

Question 8

What are multiple conclusions?

Answer 8

When a statement supports more than one conclusion.